Most children are exposed to adversity by the time they reach adulthood, but a portion of children stay free of mental illness despite trying circumstances. Such resilience has been the subject of much research and debate—with studies led by William Copeland, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, challenging the notion that childhood resilience is common.

In fact, Copeland’s findings show that children who appeared resilient during childhood were still at risk of poorer mental health, physical health, and financial outcomes in adulthood. The results suggest that focusing on reducing childhood adversity exposures may be more beneficial than promoting resilience alone. By prioritizing the reduction of early adversities, public health efforts could potentially lead to improved long-term outcomes and overall well-being for individuals as they transition into adulthood.

Read more about Dr. Copeland’s research on childhood trauma

Research like this has contributed to the University of Vermont’s designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 institution, placing it in the top tier of research universities in the U.S.